Changeable exhibitor for use at athletic contests



Sept. 9, 1958 V s. R. MASTERS CHANGEABLE EXHIBICTOR FOR USE AT ATHLETIC CONTESTS Filed Oct. 25, 1957' 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

* FIG, 2 INVENTOR GEORGE R. MASTERS ATTORNEYS a. R. MASTERS 2,850,822

CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR FOR USE AT ATHLETIC coums'rs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 9, 1958 Filed Oct. 25, 1957 INVENTOR GEORGE R. MASTERS BY W ATTORNEYS United States Patent CHANGEABLE EXHIBITOR FOR USE AT ATHLETIC CONTESTS George R. Masters, Lubbock, Tex. Application October 25, 1957, Serial No. 692,370

11 Claims. (01. 40-68) This invention relates to a changeable exhibitor. More specifically, this invention relates to a changeable exhibitor by which one is enabled easily to keep track of and identify players at athletic contests.

Difficulty has been experienced in keeping track of the players at a football game, for instance, from the roster or lineup generally published in a football program. Such publications merely oifer lists of the players by number and the spectator has to keep a mental track of which player is playing which position at a given time. Because so many positions are involved, it is easy for even an experienced spotter to at least momentarily lose track of which player is in a given position.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide means for keeping track of players by providing a board having slots arranged in game-player formation, each slot having behind it a printed slip bearing the names of players likely to play a given position. The names are adapted to be selectively exposed through the slots to exhibit the name of the person playing at a given time. One such device is shown in the U. S. Patent 2,163,978 to Ivanek, granted June 27, 1939. While such prior art devices are great improvements over the lists of players with their positions as published in a football program, there are disadvantages inherent in them. In the first place, such devices were usually made out of paper or cardboard and by the end of the game had become inoperable due to the inevitable tearing or bending of the various parts. Secondly, such devices were often inoperative due to difficulty in sliding the strips comprising the device. Thirdly, no provision was made in such prior art devices for introducing single strips bearing an individual players name. Instead, should a new player enter the game, an entirely new strip of all the players playing that position plus the new player was required.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a changeable exhibitor of permanent durable nature which is adapted to operate effectively for a limitless number of contests.

It is another object of this invention to provide a changeable exhibitor extremely easy to operate and in which cards bearing a single players name may be easily individually removed and replaced by another.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a changeable exhibitor of attractive appearance.

This invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing the board with drums installed in the device at the upper half of the view as shown and removed in the lower half;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view exposing the drums installed in the device at the upper half of the view and removed in the lower half;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation view taken from the left with respect to Fig. 1;

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Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a drum taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Briefly, this invention is a changeable exhibitor for use in keeping track of players at an athletic contest and comprises a board having spaced elongate slots therein and crosspieces or members extending perpendicular to the slots on the underside of said board. Journaled between the crosspieces with faces adapted to be exposed through the slots are a plurality of drums each having means on its peripheral face for bearing the names of players playing a given position. The journaling means for each drum comprise a pair of protruding elements located in the drum ends. Each of the elements is spring pressed outwardly to engage the crosspieces in which the drum is journaled.

More specifically, referring to the drawings, the changeable exhibitor of this invention is designated generally as 10 in Fig. 1. It comprises a board or panel member 12 having rounded corners and having a continuous downwardly extending side wall 14 about the periphery thereof. Spaced at regular intervals along the length of the board on the underside thereof are a plurality of cross members 16 disposed in parallel relation, but are preferably not so deep as the side wall 14. The cross members extend between opposite portions of the continuous side wall 14. As shown in Fig. 5, the side wall 14 and the cross members 16 are tapered, narrowing as the end away from the panel 12 is approached. The panel carries elongate slots 18 arranged in the spatial relation of the players on the field and disposed between adjacent cross members 16. An extra slot 19 may be provided for a drum to indicate the down, period, or time of play remaining, etc. All slots carry appropriate labels as shown. Each of the slots 18 is T-shaped and, as is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, has inwardly beveled lengthwise edges.

As indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the end portions 14' of the side wall 14 and aligned areas in the cross members 16 are apertured as at 17. In .these apertures identification drums 20, which exhibit the names of the players (or the down as in the case of the drum 20'), are journaled. The specific structure of the drum members is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Each drum 20 comprises a hollow cylindrical member including a tubular element 22 having a radially extending flange 24 at one end thereof. The outer surface of the flange 24 may be knurled and, as is indicated in Fig. 1, fits in the enlarged portion 18 of the T-shaped slot 18. The tubular element 22 has a wall of considerable thickness at the end carrying the flange 24, but the wall narrows in steps to a thin Wall 22' at the opposite end.

An inwardly extending lip portion 26 is formed on the inner periphery of the end carrying the flange 24. Fitting into the tubular element at the end opposite the end carrying the flange 24 is a tight-fitting sleeve 28 which is champhered in its inner end as at 28 and also carries an inwardly extending lip 30 at its outer end. The tubular element 22 carries on its outer periphery a plurality of longitudinally extending evenly spaced undercut grooves 32. From the end not carrying the flange 24 these grooves 32 are adapted to slidingly receive strips on which are printed the players names as desired.

Means for journaling the drums each. comprise a pair of oppositely disposed spring-pressed detent members. As shown in Fig. 6, more specifically, these members include a pair of balls 34 loosely carried in the drums Patented Sept. 9, 1958 20 at the opposite ends thereof and spring pressed outwardly by a pair of frustro-conical-shaped back-to-back helical springs 36. Springs 36 press the balls 34 outwardly, and the balls are retained within the drum by the inwardly extending lips 26 and 30 respectively.

The assembly of each drum member will be understood from Fig. 6. Suflice it to say, the balls 34 and spring members 36 are inserted within the tubular element 22 in the appropriate relation and the element 22 is closed by the tight-fitting sleeve 28 which is connected or welded within the reduced walled area.

While the device of my invention may be made of virtually any material, I prefer to make the board, including panel 12, wall 14 and cross members 16 from a rigid plastic or a permanent aluminum casting. I The tubular elements 22 and sleeves 28 of the drums may likewise be of plastic. The springs 36 and balls 34 are preferably of steel.

The spring members 36 are sufficiently resilient so that the individual drum members 21} may be pressed between adjacent cross members 16 and end side wall 14' and the springs will yield permitting snap installation of the individual drums as their ball members 36 fit into the apertures 17. Similarly, a slight push from the upper surface of the panel on a given drum 34 forces the ball members out of their aperture bearings 17.

From the drawings in the above description the operation of the board is obvious. The drums 20 are adapted to rotate on their respective journals and to expose through the slots 18 the names of the players playing the various positions at a given time, the names being carried by a slip in one of the grooves 32. When a substitute enters the game, the drum is rotated by turning the knurled flange associated with the appropriate drum until his name appears through the slot. Should a player for which the drum does not carry a name appear on the field, the appropriate drum may be popped out of its bearings and a new name slip inserted in one of the undercut grooves 32. Once the slip has been installed, the drum can be snapped back into its position under the panel 12.

Thus, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that l have developed an improved changeable exhibitor by which it is a simple matter to keep track of players at athletic contests. My device is of sturdy and durable nature and is adapted to accommodate any number of players names by a simple adjustment possible without the use of tools or implements of any kind. My device will be of special benefit to those in the occupation of scouting or reporting athletic contests whose livelihood.

depends on keeping accurate track of the players in the game and the positions they are playing at a given time.

While this invention has been shown in but one form, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

I claim:

1. A changeable exhibitor for identifying players at athletic contests comprising a frame having a plurality of spaced parallel crosspieces and a plurality of identification drums, each of said drums comprising a tubular element having an axial bore therethrough, a protruding element extending out of each end of said element from within said tubular element, spring means within said tubular element pressing both of said protruding elements outwandly, lip means extending parially across the opening in either end of the tubular element and serving to limit the protrusion of said protruding elements, the outer portion of each of said protruding elements adapted to serve as hearing means for said drum, said bearing means adapted to journal said drum between adjacent crosspieces in said frame, and said drum adapted to carry a plurality of names on the peripheral faces thereof.

2. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 1, wherein said crosspieces are tapered, narrowing in width as one side is approached and some of said crosspieces have recesses in a face thereof, said recesses being aligned with recesses in the adjacent face of an adjacent crosspiece whereby said aligned recesses serve as journaling means for the protruding element comprising the bearings of a drum.

3. A changeable exhibitor for identifying players at athletic contests comprising a board having a face panel with a plurality of slots therein arranged in the formation of the players on the playing field and a plurality of arallel spaced crosspieces on the back of said panel and disposed between said slots, and a plurality of identification drums, each of said drums comprising a tubular element having an axial bore therethrough and a springpressed protruding element protruding out from either end of said tubular element, lip means in either end retaining said protruding elements partly inside of said drum, said protruding elements serving as bearings by which said drum is journaled for rotation between two adjacent crosspieces, each of said drums being adapted to removably carry a plurality ofslips bearing individual players, names thereon and said drums being positioned so that by rotation of the drums one of said name-bearing slips can be selectively exposed through one of said slots.

4. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 3 wherein each of said tubular elements carries an outwardly extending flange about one end thereof, said flange adapted to serve as means by which said drum can be rotated.

5. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 4 wherein each of said slots is T-shaped and is beveled inwardly along its lengthwise dimension, and whereby said flange can rotate in the head of said T.

6. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 4 wherein said flange is knurled to facilitate rotation of the drum.

7. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 3 wherein said crosspieces are tapered, narrowing in width as one side is approached and some of said crosspieces have recesses in a face thereof, said recesses being aligned with recesses in the adjacent face of an adjacent crosspiece whereby said aligned recesses serve as journaling means for the protruding element comprising the bearings of a drum.

8. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 3 wherein said protruding elements are balls and a pair of back-to-back helical springs press said balls outwardly.

9. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 3 wherein each of said tubular elements has a tight-fitting sleeve secured in one end thereof, said sleeve being charnfered on its inside edge closest to the center of said drum and having said lip partially across the outer end thereof.

10. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 3 wherein said panel has a continuous downwardly extending side wall about the periphery thereof.

11. A changeable exhibitor as described in claim 3 wherein each of said tubular elements has a plurality of longitudinally extending undercut grooves in the peripheral face thereof, each of said grooves adapted to slidingly receive a name-bearing slip.

References Jited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,697 Hamilton May 5, 1908 1,330,881 Lineham Feb. 17, 1920 2,382,754 Turnbaugh Aug. 14, 1945 

